October 2, 2003
THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN REGULAR SESSION, OCTOBER 2, 2003 AT, 10:00 A.M., AT 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA. PRESIDENT FARRIS CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:
WILLIS A. FARRIS, PRESIDENT
PHILIP L. GUNN, VICE PRESIDENT
JAMES K. ARMES, III
MEL HARRIS
ROBERT PYNES, JR.
MARK H. SMITH
RICKY REESE
W.R. "RANDY" MARTIN
GAYE McKEE
COL. MARK ROCKE
ABSENT: GENE HAYMON, OUT-OF-STATE
BETTY WESTERCHIL, OUT-OF-STATE
B.R. HARVEY
There was also present Dr. Cynthia Gillespie, Secretary of the Board.
The meeting was opened in prayer by Mark Smith.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Philip Gunn.
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Philip Gunn, the Board voted to approve and dispense with the reading of the minutes of September 9, 2003.
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of James Armes, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board to approve the attached resignations.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to approve the attached sabbatical leave request.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Mel Harris, seconded by James Armes, the Board voted to approve the attached request for leave without pay.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Randy Martin, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to approve the attached employee transfers.
ATTACHED
On recommendation of Superintendent Gillespie and on motion of Philip Gunn, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to approve the attached list of new employees.
ATTACHED
On motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by Randy Martin, the Board voted to approve budget amendments as related to personnel changes.
Mr. Ray Fugatt, architect for the Ward I improvement project gave the Board an update on the progress of construction projects and addressed questions and concerns of the board members. He introduced Mr. Lynn Woodard, the new job superintendent, who announced Vernon Middle School cafeteria will be in operation by Thanksgiving. He also discussed the other projects now in progress and invited inquiries and comments from the board at any time.
Mr. Jackie Self gave an update on the $2,500.00 certification incentive for new teachers who fit the criteria and for those teachers already teaching in the system who attained additional certification. The certification incentive was funded this year by a $200,000.00 Rural Education grant and 33 new teachers and 57 already employed teachers each received a $2,500.00 one-time incentive pay. The grant money is now depleted and the parish will not receive any money for next year's incentive pay, however, the board will look for funding through other sources in an effort to continue the program.
Mel Harris, acting as chairperson of the Transportation Committee in Mr. Harvey's absence, reported that the Committee had held three meetings to discuss an advisory handed down from the National Highway Safety Administration through the office of State Superintendent of School, Mr. Cecil Picard, regarding safety issues with Carpenter school buses.
Mr. Harris, on behalf of the Transportation Committee, presented following recommendations:
All Vernon Parish owned activity buses will be removed from use and sold for salvage.
Following are the recommendations for drivers who own buses involved in the advisory:
1. The bus should be taken out of service and replaced as soon as possible.
2. If the bus must continue in use, qualified service personnel, as approved by the Director of Transportation, shall inspect and repair the bus for cracked, broken or missing welds as soon as possible. Upon receipt of the written report from the certified service personnel, these bused may then continue in use.
Until inspected and repaired by certified service personnel, buses may not operate at a speed over 35 miles per hour and may not be used for field trips.
On recommendation of the Transportation Committee and on motion of Mel Harris, seconded by James Armes, the Board voted to adopt the policy regarding Carpenter buses
Superintendent Gillespie and Jimmy Funderburk, Director of Transportation, had recommended that buses affected by the National Highway Safety Administration, after inspection and repair, not be allowed to operate at a speed over 35 miles per hour nor be used for out-of-town field trips.
On recommendation of the Transportation Committee and on motion of Mel Harris, seconded by Ricky Reese, the Board approved a policy stating that any bus driver on leave without pay for any reason, must provide a bus for his/her route during the period of absence.
On recommendation of the Transportation Committee and on motion of James Armes, seconded by Ricky Reese, the Board voted to add the attached policy which has been in place for many years to the Policy Manual.
All students who live 3/10 of a mile or more off the regular bus route shall be included in the route if the road is adequately maintained and a bus turn-around is available. The road and the turn around should be free of trees, limbs, stumps, cars, and other obstacles which would hinder the safe operation of the school bus. Unsafe conditions, as determined cooperatively by the bus driver, principal, supervisor of transportation and superintendent, will result in the bus not traveling this portion of the route until the unsafe condition is rectified.
Once a route has been established, the bus driver shall not alter the route without order of the principal and the supervisor of transportation.
On motion of James Armes, seconded by Mark Smith, the Board voted to open bids to sell a used activity bus at Leesville High School.
No bids were received, therefore, on motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to appoint Superintendent Gillespie, Tim Ward, assistant director of finance, and James Williams, principal at Leesville High School, to a committee to dispose of the bus.
On motion of Randy Martin, seconded by Gaye McKee, the Board voted to open bids to sell a used van at the central office.
No bids were received, therefore, on motion of Mark Smith, seconded by Mel Harris, the Board voted to appoint Superintendent Gillespie, Tim Ward and Ricky Kay to a committee to dispose of the used van.
In other business, Superintendent Gillespie announced two scheduled committee meetings. District 1/6 Committee will meet at 3:00 p.m. and the Curriculum Committee will meet at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7th, preceding the board meeting.
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board takes this means to express its sincere condolences to the family of Mrs. Angelina Wilson, of Leesville, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Wilson was the mother of Mrs. Florence Endris, technology secretary at the central office, the mother-in-law of Mr. Bill Endris, director of finance for the Vernon Parish School system, and the grandmother Mr. Bo Cryer, bus driver at West Leesville Elementary School, Mr. Johnny Cryer, teacher at Rosepine High School, and Mr. William Endris, teacher at Leesville Jr. High School;
WHEREAS, Mrs. Wilson was a lifelong resident of the Leesville area and she will be sadly missed by her family and friends; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to the family at this time of bereavement.
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to express their heartfelt condolences to the family of Mrs. Lucille Cavanaugh, of Leesville, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Cavanaugh, retired Vernon Parish Tax Assessor, was very active in church and civic organizations and will be remembered for her service to the community; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mrs. Cavanaugh's at this time of sorrow.
On motion of Mark Smith, seconded by the Board, the Board adopted the following memorial resolution:
WHEREAS, the members of the Vernon Parish School Board wish to express their deepest sympathies to the family of Mr. Jerry Holsomback, of Leesville, who recently passed away; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Holsomback was the son-in-law of Mrs. Lynell Johnson, secretary at the central office, and the uncle of Mrs. Robin Perkins, teacher at East Leesville Elementary School;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Board requests a copy of this memorial resolution be sent to Mr. Holsomback's family at this time of sorrow.
There being no further business, on motion of Gaye McKee, seconded by the Board, the meeting was adjourned.
____________________________________
WILLIS A. FARRIS, BOARD PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
__________________________________________
DR. CYNTHIA GILLESPIE, SUPERINTENDENT